Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-09-24

some 1,0oo.0J0 Catholics who support :, 600
priests. 6.oS churches. 5000 chapels 81 eccle-
siastical semnaries, 100 colleges. 500 h,'-pi-
tails and asylums, aud ? SO parochial schools,
IN which nearly 500. .oO children were taught.
These figures will explain why the pope
takes an interest in America. He has a
further reason in the fact that it was the
American minister at Rome, Mr.. Astor. who
by his Intervention saved the splendid Amer
ican College of the Propaganda at Rome
from confiscation by the Italian government
two years ago.
Archbishop Corrigan. Of New York, has
already commissioned DIR. Mcdonnell, his
private secretary. o. represent him at the
jubilee Bishop Loughlin, OF Brooklyn, the
senior bishop Of the American Catholic
church, will. with many other bishops, at
tend in person, and there will be priests and
lay ynIen delegated from every diocese in the
country to carry gifts and testimonials Of all
kinds, as we'll as copies Of every Catholic
book and newspaper Of consequence in Amer
icA TO present to the pope.
The present jubilee is intended TO be at
tended by none but good feeling. When the
queens jubilee was celebrated the pope or.
dered masses to be celebrated throughout
England in honor OF the event. 1t is in the
same spirit that he hopes his own celebration
to be viewed.
1t is q few months more than ten yea.S
since Pope Plus IX celebrated his jubilee un-
der very different circumstances. He was
very near to the end Of q reign longer than
that Of any previous pope and quite as tenn
pestuous. He had been but recently shorn Of
his temporal power, and he made the jubilee
season the occasion of issuing pastoral letter
on the subject 30 bitter a. to arouse all Eu-
rope. 1t was but few months later when
he died
At the time Of his death the Vatican was
at war with almost every European power,
and when, after a two days contest in the
early part Of 1878. it was announced that the
college of cardinals had ele ted Joachim Vim
cert Pecci to succeed Pho Mono, the knowing
ones shook their heads A tall, slender,
sweet faced Italian, he had been papal nun
clio to Belgium and had ruled in the sees of
Spuletto and Perugia He had been fairly
successful in these posts, and that was about
all tha, could be said Of HIM
The same pale faced, seemingly frail man
is now rated by Catholics as among the great
est Of the popes. Of whom he is the o6Oth. 1t
Is intended in the coming jubilee to do full
have all been accomplished in les than ten
years
They may be summed up briefly, although
their results have unQuestionably placed the
Catholic church in . better position than it
has held for generations, besides bringing
about a much better and fuller understand
ing between Catholics and non-C Catholics.
Pope Leo found the Vatican at war with
- ~ -
being harassed by the famous Falk laws The
Falk laws are now practically abolished and
Bismarck and the pope are friends The
Greek and Latin branches OF the church were
fighting. The incoming pope settled that.
He crushed out the reactionary spirit in
Rome He has even gone far toward concili-
ating the Italian government. He arbItrated
the dispute between Germany and Spain over
the Caroline Islands. He is on better terms
with ali Europe than any other modern pope
has been. By means Of the late plenary
council be has thoroughly reorganized the
Catholic church in America, and besides has
approved plans for a national Catholic uni
versity at Washington that is to cost s. Ooo, 600
and compare favorably with any in Europe.
These are his more important acts, and,
although the pope is Il years old and frail in
health, he is still untiring.
The pope is reported as being extremely
anxious that the jubilee should be in every
sense a magnificent affair. There are more
than 200, 900 600 Catholics under his rule, and
IL cannot be doubted that his wishes in this
respect will be gratified. Every race and
color will be represented in Rome during the
month Of November, and every language will
be heard on her streets There are, of course,
the usual rumors that the pope will use the
jubilee to astonish the powers Of Europe and
induce them to restore some Of his lost tenn
poral power.
The impression among Catholics is, how
ever, that the pope, who is an old man, and
who, ir the natural course Of things, cannot
live many years, wishes to round out q long
career i'll a striking ami impressive manner.
The wish may be pardoned him by those who
are Of his faith and those who are not.
Since he has been pope Leo XIII has un-
questionably used whatever power he pos
sessed in a conservative manner. J. F.